Placekicker: Blair Walsh. There's no need here to evaluate Blair Walsh except to say that he had a terrific rookie year. But don't get cocky. His second year will be critical in defining Walsh's career.

Punter: Chris Kluwe. While statistically Kluwe wasn't out-punting the rest of the league every week, he was no slouch either. He only had two touchbacks the entire year, which is incredible. It looks like Kluwe will have surgery in the offseason. It will be interesting to see what happens after. While he didn't stand on the sideline wearing a sweatband emblazoned with the name of the NFL Commissioner on it, he nevertheless succeeded in making himself famous with off-field comments. I don't know if he distracted the locker room, but if so, that would have been a problem. He doesn't have the biggest leg anymore, but Kluwe's skill is such that the Vikings are probably going to bring him back next year. Kluwe also is the holder and does just fine in the job.

Long snapper: Collen Loeffler. If there was a Pro Bowl spot for long snappers, Loeffler would definitely be in it for his 2012 campaign. He is an unsung hero of the team, and among long snappers, he is the tops in my book.

Kick returner: Percy Harvin. Needless to say, Percy Harvin is a great kick returner. He enjoyed another return for a touchdown this year. This talk of possibly parting ways with Harvin (which I am against) doesn't even factor in how good of a kick returner he is. Despite missing a big part of the season, Harvin still had 1,347 all-purpose yards, finishing about 30th in the NFL. Any way you look at it, Harvin is a star in the NFL.

Punt returner: Marcus Sherels: The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher did very well as the Vikings punt returner. Every once in a while, he would pick up chunks of yardage. He did take one for a touchdown. With Sherels, the Vikings at last have a legitimate punt returner. Sherels did a decent job in filling in for Harvin at returning kicks.